Manu Bhaker overcome by memories of Jaspal Rana after fifth-place finish in 10m air pistol at Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games

Manu Bhaker finished fifth in the 10m air pistol at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on September 23, 2026, and became emotional when asked about her late coach Jaspal Rana after missing out on a medal.

Bhaker has described the past two years since the Paris high as difficult, with only a couple of podium finishes across the 10m and 25m pistol events that fell short of her expectations. The sudden death of coach, mentor and father figure Jaspal Rana earlier this year profoundly affected her, and she became even more withdrawn from June onward. The recent passing of her grandmother compounded her retreat from the public eye, and teammates and staff noted she kept to herself at a training camp in Bhopal last month, travelling between the range and the hotel and speaking only when necessary.

The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games represented Bhaker’s first competitive outing since Rana’s death, and she said the occasion was emotionally difficult. After her fifth-place finish she began by addressing the match but was visibly shaken when she mentioned Rana: “Of course I miss him; he was the best of the best, the Asian champion. When it came to the Asian Games, I think he was the undisputed champion, and we were really looking forward to Japan,” she said before becoming overwhelmed and walking away. She returned a few minutes later and completed the media interaction.

When asked whether she remembered Rana during the break between qualifying and finals, Bhaker said, “Yes, I do remember. It’s not like you remember once or twice; it just stays with you. When a person has been a big part of your life, it just stays; it’s very natural. All the things I remember, most of which is the process. “He was so adamant on the process always, that any given day, any given point, whenever you shoot, you have to be able to give your best and follow your process. That and a few more things, like life is very unpredictable, so live it to the fullest, be kind” she smiled through the pain that clearly was still in.

On her on-range performance Bhaker said she had tried to focus on process despite difficulties in training overseas: “I genuinely tried my best, and I really feel the performance was significantly better than the challenges I have been facing in my training in Japan. I feel really sorry I was not able to make it to the podium; I hope I will be able to do better,” she said. She cited pre-event training problems including sunlight affecting her focus and an inability to see the sides, while adding that most of her shots followed the plan.

Bhaker acknowledged a few wayward shots cost her a place on the podium, singling out an 8.9 on the eighth shot as decisive. “But a few shots were not so good,” she admitted, and when asked if that compromised her chances she said, “Yes. As much as anyone would like to deny it, yes — it definitely compromised my chances a lot.”

Bhaker retains a medal opportunity in the 25m pistol at the Asian Games, a pursuit she said will demand mental and emotional strength to realise.